By Jean Leslie and Kelly Simmons
Center for Creative Leadership
Summary
The research examines leadership capabilities essential for navigating a “polycrisis” – a convergence of multiple, interconnected crises that amplify each other’s impacts. While the concept of polycrisis is gaining recognition, the study revealed a significant gap in literature specifically addressing leadership during such situations. To bridge this gap, the researchers analyzed related concepts of “grand challenges” and “wicked problems,” which share similar characteristics with polycrisis.
Through a synthesis of findings from relevant articles and expert validation, the analysis identified six key themes of leadership capabilities: Complex Problem-Solving, Collaboration and Relationships, Transformative Leadership, Inclusivity and Ethics, Inner Capabilities, and Future Orientation. Each theme encompasses specific capabilities that leaders need to effectively address the complex, interconnected challenges within a polycrisis. This represents a shift from current leadership paradigms, emphasizing the need for leaders to develop skills and mindsets that can handle multiple simultaneous crises.
The study proposes four critical leadership development practices to prepare leaders for a polycrisis: shifting from episodic to continuous learning, enabling learning in action, prioritizing wellbeing and inclusivity to grow organizational resilience, and integrating vertical development. These practices suggest a move from traditional program-centric models to integrated development organizational systems that embed learning in daily work and emphasize organization-wide approaches.
The research has significant implications for leadership development, suggesting that organizations must reimagine how they prepare leaders for increasingly complex global challenges. While the study has limitations, including its reliance on Western sources and theoretical nature, it provides a foundation for understanding the leadership capabilities required in a polycrisis context. The findings emphasize the urgency of developing these capabilities as the frequency, complexity, and interconnectedness of global crises increase, requiring a new breed of leadership equipped to handle multiple, simultaneous challenges.
Citation
Leslie, J. B. & Simmons, S. (2024). Leadership Capabililties for Navigating a Polycrisis. Center for Creative Leadership. https://doi.org/10.35613/ccl.2024.2058
